Downtown to Defiance Festivities

Summer may be winding down, but the fun outdoor events aren't over yet. Case in point: the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department bring you Downtown to Defiance: Sunday Parkways. It will be a unique experience to join other cyclists, walkers, and runners in an event that spans Tacoma's waterfront from the Tacoma Dome area to Point Defiance.

Grab your bike or walking shoes and head to Schuster Parkway on Sept. 22, 2013 from 8 a.m. to noon. Cyclists, runners and walkers will enjoy "open street" access along Tacoma's scenic shoreline on a safe travel route from Downtown Tacoma all the way to Point Defiance Park. The event, which kicks off at the Tacoma Dome, will travel down Dock Street to Schuster Parkway to Ruston Way and end directly in Point Defiance Park, via a new interim-trail connection between the two which will officially open during the celebration.

That interim trail is part of a vision of a waterfront connector between Downtown Tacoma and Point Defiance that has been many years in the making. This connection will eventually get upgraded to a more permanent trail. 

For anyone who ever tried to make the old connection between Ruston Way and Point Defiance (via that sketchy little tunnel) without a car, the recent elimination of the tunnel and the addition of sidewalks up through Ruston was an improvement, and this will give another option, with an even more scenic view of our surroundings.

The September 22 festivities will feature an assortment of bike rides, including 25- and 45-mile ride options with the Tacoma Wheelmen, a women-specific ride from VeloFemmes, a kids ride, and a community ride, and the fun spectacle of "elected officials on a 14-person Pedalounge." Other activities at parks along the way will include the opportunity to personalize your bike decor; learn about the environment; and take a break for a little stretching, zumba, and/or nutrition information. The celebration at Point Defiance promises music, games, bouncy houses, activities, food, and beverages.

We do love a good bouncy house.

Learn more, and pre-register for events at www.metroparkstacoma.org/downtowntodefiance.